Located in front of the iconic Lanyon Building at Queen’s University Belfast, the War Memorial stands as a poignant tribute to the employees and students of the university who lost their lives or went missing during the World Wars. Erected in 1924, the memorial bears the names of 253 individuals from World War I and 155 from World War II.
The memorial was crafted by the renowned sculptor Thomas Brock, celebrated for his representations of Queen Victoria, including the statue in front of Belfast City Hall. The memorial powerfully depicts a dying soldier, hand clasped to his chest while still holding his sword in the other hand. He is supported by a tall angel, who holds aloft a wreath of victory.
An intriguing aspect of the Queen’s University Belfast War Memorial is the inclusion of Isobel Addey Tate, a notable female graduate who died in the Great War. Tate’s story is one of dedication and bravery. Born in Tartaraghan, near Loughgall in Co Armagh, in May 1874, Tate was the daughter of John Tate, a Portadown merchant, and Isabella Cherry.
In 1888, Queen’s College, Belfast, admitted its first female medical student, and Tate matriculated in 1894. She graduated as a doctor in 1899 and registered with the General Medical Council of Ireland. After further studies, she worked in Dublin and earned her Doctor of Medicine degree from the Royal University of Ireland in 1902. Her medical career saw her in various postings until the outbreak of the Great War.
In 1915, Tate joined the Serbian Relief Fund, responding to the severe medical crisis caused by the Austro-Hungarian attack on Serbia. Unfortunately, she contracted typhoid fever shortly after arriving and was evacuated to Belgrade Hospital, then returned home.
In 1916, she volunteered for service with the Royal Army Medical Corps and served at St Paul’s Military Hospital in Valetta, Malta. There, she treated many casualties from the Gallipoli and Salonika campaigns. Tragically, on 28 January 1917, Isobel Addey Tate succumbed to “congestion of the brain” caused by typhoid fever in Malta.
If you fancy learning more about the Queen’s Quarter come on my tour of the area! Details are here